Bottles from the Deep: Patent Medicines, Bitters, and Other Bottles from the Wreck of the Steamship Republic [Paperback]

Ellen C. Gerth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

Bottles from the Deep offers a fascinating tour through the bottles of the Civil War era. This illustrated softcover book presents the colorful examples from an amazing find of 19th-century bottles in a shipwreck in the deep Atlantic, 100 miles off the coast of Georgia. The bottles were en route to New Orleans in October 1865, just months after the end of the Civil War. They reveal a time capsule of bottled goods of the times – from popular herbal bitters (with their high alcoholic content) to quack medicines (Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup for Children) to condiments, fruit preserves, hair tonics, writing inks, perfumes, beer and wine, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A handsome book." -- Jane Spillman, Corning Museum of Glass

About the Author

Ellen C. Gerth is Curator of Collections for Odyssey Marine Exploration, the shipwreck recovery and marine archaeology company that discovered the wreck of the SS Republic in 2003.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Shipwreck Heritage Press (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933034076
• ISBN-13: 978-1933034072
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,654,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Bottles

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book. Fast Read., March 25, 2007

By 

Blondie59 (EGV IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bottles from the Deep: Patent Medicines, Bitters, and Other Bottles from the Wreck of the Steamship Republic (Paperback)

Very enjoyable read. Brief, but succinct in discussion of the bottle types recovered from the wreck. Provides interesting history of the various bottle types. Great photography of the recovered treasures. I read it in a couple of hours. Can't wait for Oddysey to publish more on their discoveries and recoveries. Be sure to read The Lost Gold of the Republic for an excellent presentation of the history and discovery of the SS Republic and the development of the Oddysey Marine Company. It was extremely well written and an enjoyable read. Both books are highly recommended for the shipwreck buff or treasure collector.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent first product, October 17, 2006

By 

Tom King "Tom" (Silver Spring, Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bottles from the Deep: Patent Medicines, Bitters, and Other Bottles from the Wreck of the Steamship Republic (Paperback)

"Bottles from the Deep" is, I think, the first published (in the paper sense) product of Odyssey Marine Exploration's impressive archaeological excavation of the steamship Republic, and doubtless it will not be the last. Some archaeologists shrink from the idea of a marine salvage firm doing good archaeology, but with the Republic Odyssey has shown how it can be done; the Republic fieldwork is a model for deep-ocean archaeological investigation. What remains is to see how the data recovered are used and shared with the profession and the public. Ellen Gerth's book suggests that Odyssey will do well in this regard, too. The book provides a concise summary of the history of the shipwreck and its excavation, and then plunges into fascinating details about the various types represented among the thousands of bottles recovered. Stephen Sweet's Infallible Liniment, Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup -- it's amazing our ancestors survived the 19th century swilling such stuff. Very handsomely illustrated, Gerth's little book is a contribution to the archaeological literature that's fun to read. Not too big to be a stocking stuffer for one's favorite bottle nut, either.